Life Connected: Hispanic Heritage Month

"Life Connected Special in Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month" airs Saturday, October 6 at 8 p.m.

Celebrating heritage months has long been a tradition at NBC4, and every year, the station seeks to tell stories about the many cultures and languages that make up the unique communities of Southern California.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15), NBC4 will air a 30-minute special that features Latinos and their historical influence on the region on Saturday, October 6 at 8 p.m.

The Hispanic Heritage Month special will highlight the similarities and connections that we all share, while capturing stories of Latino culture and how it significantly shaped Southern California lifestyles.

NBC4 produced the show as part of its initiative to dive deeper into various cultures and align stories with the station’s Life Connected news segment, which launched this past spring. Life Connected segments highlight stories of triumph in the community and profile individuals or events that have enhanced the lives of others.

Featuring NBC4’s Latino talent, the half-hour Hispanic Heritage special will be hosted by Alycia Lane, Today in L.A.’s anchor, and Michelle Valles, weekend anchor. Stories from reporters Kim Baldonado, , Ana Garcia, Mekahlo Medina, Vikki Vargas, Kathy Vara, and others, will air or be profiled on the NBC4 website. NBC4 will also air PSAs that celebrate the Latino culture featuring Alycia Lane, Kathy Vara, Michelle Valles and Lolita Lopez.

In the special, Reporter John Cadiz Klemack will tell a story that looks at the 1960s Chicano Art Movement where socio-political artists began their effort to bring attention to the Mexicans plight to assimilate. In another segment, Reporter Jacob Rascon will share the story of Latino baseball teams that existed in the Inland Empire. He will take the viewer into an era that nurtured athletes and educational skills among players, but allowed a safe place for them to display their ethnic identity and self-determination during a time of segregation and discrimination. The show will also feature a piece by Reporter Lolita Lopez, who will cover the Latino vote and issues impacting the community. Other stories will highlight historical landmarks that date back to the early 1800s and the MacArthur Park community and its significance to Los Angeles’ growing Hispanic population.

Now, NBC4 will use this new show format to air future heritage month specials in recognition of the many ethnicities that make up our society. In November, the station plans a similar special for Native American Heritage Month, and in February and May, Black History Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month shows will air.